Automatic airplane wheel rotator



Nov. 2, 1943.

R. a MITTON ETAL AUTOMATIC AIRPLANE WHEEL ROTATOR Filed Dec. 7, 1942qnq. J---- QH I.

Gu'mmw ll IN VEN TORS A TTORNE Y Patented Nov. 2, 1943 AUTOMATICCampbell, San me can I Application December 7, 1942, Serial No. 48

14 Claims. (01. 244 102) One object of our invention is toprovideautomatic means to start and rotate airplane wheels at a suitablepredetermined speed, preparatory to landing the airplane and thusprevent the usual shock, vibration or chatter imposed upon; thestructure of the same because of the diflicul-ty of overcoming theinertia of such wheels in minadequate length of time.

Another object is to prevent the destruction of tire treads caused bythe usual skidding of such wheels up to the point where they finallyattain landing speed of rotation and to eliminate the danger attendantthereto.

A further object is to provide means to accurately regulate the speed ofsuch wheel rotating mechanism so that they will not turn either too fastor too slow for most eflicient performance during the landing process.

The'said objects are attained by the device hereinafter described andexplained by reference to the accompanying drawing.

Referring to the drawing: Figure 1 shows th device installed upon asuggested type of substitute or supplemental wheel hub cap I adaptableto be bolted concentrically upon the side of the airplane wheel by meansof bolts passed through mounting holes shown disposed about the outer.flange of said hub cap I, a large center hole 2' is provided, throughwhich the axle of the said wheel would normally pass.

The laterally operating webs 3 and 4, mounted upon their respectivepivot pins and 6 are shown in Fig. 1. This is an inner edge view of thesaid Webs 3 and 4. Certain weights, springs and adjustments to behereafter referred to, are omitted from this view for the purpose ofclearer illustration.

The said pivot pins I and 6, pass through the elongated bosses to and4a, which are integral with the said webs 4 and 4. This allows the pivotbearing to be extended and maintained in accurate position. The saidpins 5 and 6 also pass through the lugs 9, HI, Ii and I2, whichareintegral with the said hub cap housing I,

Slots in thehub cap housing, designated by the numerals I and 8 areprovided, through which the said webs 3 and 4 pass and are pivotally in-I stalled therein as shown.

The said webs 3 and 4 are pivotally mounted upon the pivot pins 5 andIi. Optional roller bearings, adapted to assist in holding the webs inposition against side thrust of said webs 3 and 4 are shown in positionto roll upon the sides of said webs when they are moved. These rollerbearings are shown in the Figures 1 and 2, they shown in pl'ace are'indotted numerals ll, i4, and ,4. These bearings are mounted upon anrevolve] about the bearing pivot pins ll, I8, l9 anet2 li,{:ljthe saidpivot pins b i ecur d n aci 1.13.. 2.4. 2.5. 26. 21 and 28 whichgie ingr ithth'e 'sai'dhub cap I. Two position stops r: webs l an'd' 4 areprovidedand designated. the numerals l9 and 30, Figures 1 and 2:

Figure 2 is a .vertlc hub cap housing ;.the operating parts are InFigure 2 .t he audustabiejweights' stand}! are shown. Theseweight'sxarescrewed into the lugs 33 and I4'whiehare integral with-thesaid webs 3 and 4'. An extension spring 35 is shown attached; to thetwo/eye holes provided in-the lugs 33 and 34 as shown. An-adjustablecompression spring device,r.--Figuref3, may be substituted for thesaidspring 35 and attached by pivot pins at the lug eyes in 33 and-34.It has the advantage of forming a rigid space bar between the said-"eyeho'ies in lugs 33 and 34 to assist the alternate co-ordination of themoveqments of webs i and (without interfering with the spring action andfurthermore these devices may be adjusted as to the spring tensionbetween these points, as anradded advantage. Figure 3 is a detail ofthis alternative adjustable spring device, shown in cross sectionthrough the barrel and guide adjustment cap and through the lower eyeclevis which is integral with the said barrel. The saidbarrel is denotedby the numeral 40, the adjustable guide cap 4|, is screwed into the topoi the said :barrel, while a piston rod 4!, piston -43 and coilcompression spring 46 and uppereye cievis flfare external views of theseparts'shown in placeiin the section. The section of the lower eye clevisis denoted by the numeral 45. The coil compression spring 46 is shownsurrounding'thepiston rod 42 within the barrelbetween the said. piston43 and the adjustable screw cap 4| as shown. While coil springs areshown it will be obvious that other types of springs may. .be usedwithout departing fromtj spiritpi'" invention Referring 'gure '2, two;pilot vanes 36 r and 31 are shown' tegral units with the webs 3 and 4.These pilot vanes. and 31, are set at an angle of incidence as shown sothat the airstream woul lower webs out he 'housing and would push theupper webs int the housing in the position re designated by thecrow-section through the rnai views'oi e'ach other tainspeed.

"Adjustable weights SI and I! may be locked into position by cotter keysinstalled through the holes and 38 in the lugs'lland l4. Elongatedslots; not shown in this view are provided in the an airplane, of whichthe said wheels and chassis are illustrated indotted outline. Thesefigures are a front view of the assemblies. The lower driving websmay benoted in these figures in their respective exposed positions 4 while;the position of the top webs are indicated by the numeral 3.

The operation of this device is efiected by a combination of the forcesoi-gravity, centrifugal forcev and aerodynamic reaction. The drivingforce is obtained by air resistance against the forward sidesoflaterally operating and pivoting webs which are alternately exposed tothe airstream as they enter the bottom half of the cycle ofwheelrotation and are retracted when theyenter the top half of saidcycle of rotation until the wheel attains sufllcient speed to create anamount of centrifugal force capable of moving'the'weightsll and 32outwardly from the center. of'rotation and overcome the tension of thespring 35 -or.the alternative spring tension of the device shown atFigure 3. 1

A studyof the illustration at Figure 2 will show that gravity alonewould retract the top web 3 and expose thebottom web 4 in view of theposition of balance of the weights 3| and 32 in relation to the locationof the pivot points 5 and .6. However due to problems of inertiaaffecting such weights, the force of gravity to actuate these webs isnot entirely relied upon, but is supplemented by pilot vanes 38 and 31which are set at .an angle'of incidence in relation to the direction offlow of .the airstream, these move the said webs 3 and 4 into and out ofthe airstream-byth'e'force or positive aerodynamic reaction upon thesaidpilot vanes.

.The said pilot vanes 36 and 31 present alternate sides of each to theairstream when the wheel rotates and thus pull the webs out of thehousing when they are at the bottom and shove the said webs back intothe housings at the top of the cycle of wheel rotation as shown.

The power of the airstream, contacting the area of the front side of thebottom, exposed webs, rotates the wheels in'the proper direction whenthe landing gear is lowered into the airstream.

This driving power. may be varied: by altering the size of these webs,by their distance from the center of rotation, by the number of websemployed in. each wheel assembly and by regu- .i'illustrated untilthewheels have attained a cering the power of such pilot vanes to thetension of the spring 35 or to the tension of the substitute springdevice shown at Figure 3, which latter device is subject to infinitelyfine and variable adjustment.

The position and arrangement of the adjustable weights 3| and 32, affordyet another means of adjustment, in view'of the influence of centrifugalforce upon these weights when the wheels are rotated. In thisconnection, it is noteworthy that heavier or lighter weights might beemployed as a still further adjustment means to secure a desired result.Because of these variable adjustment possibilities the device may beregulated like a finely balanced governor which will neutralize theoperating mechanism after the wheels have attained any desired speed ofrotation for which they may be set.

The screw adjustment of the weights 3| and 32, allow them to be setfarther out from the center of wheel rotation to increase the influenceof centrifugal force upon them or moved farther in toward the center ofsuch rotation to decrease such force.

Although the device is shown involving all of these various adjustments,it is recognized that for a single given wheel speed, it may requirenone of these. 7 springs, weights and adjustments might be dispensedwith entirely and the reaction of the airstream upon the pilot vanes 36and 31, opposed to theeilect of the centrifugal force upon the center ofmassof the webs 3 and 4, be solely relied upon to hold the wheelrotation to a given speed, without departing from the spirit of ourinvention. It is also known that the roller bearings l3, l4, l5 and Itwould not be needed or used if the webs 3 and 4 were substantiallyconstructed and mounted upon precision positioning pivots. l

The invention pertains primarily to the principle of propelling airplanewheels while in flight by the force of air pressure against webs whichare alternately exposed to the power of such force in combination withmeans of controlling such force and the speed of such rotation by thepower of centrifugal force.

Having thus explained our invention, we claim:

1. In an airplane wheel rotator, propelling webs movable in and out ofradially disposed slots provided to house the said webs in an airplanewheel, pilot vanes attached to the said webs at an angle of incidence tothe airflow governing the position of the said webs, a centrifugalgovernor to control the action of the said pilot vanes and webs to"rotate the airplane wheel at a given speed, the combination of allelements recited in this claim.

2. In an airplane wheel rotator comprising propelling webs disposedabout the sides of an airplane wheel, pilot vanes operatively connectedto said propelling webs, said webs arranged to be e1 temately exposed tothe airstream, a centrifugal governor toautomatically retract all of thewebs from the airstream or expose the same to the airstreamsimultaneously after a given wheel speed has been attained, thecombination of all elements recited in this claim.

3. In an airplane wheel rotator comprising the combination of rotatingwebs arranged around the periphery of an airplane *wheel, said websbeing alternately exposed to the airstream while the said wheels aregaining speed, said webs being activated by pilot vanes integral withsaid webs and set at an angle'of incidence to the Under such conditionsthe tached to the said the said reciprocating web and centrifugal forceof the said centrifugal weight,

aaaaici arranged tooppose the force of said centrifugal overnor.

4. In an airplane wheel rotator, the combination or laterally operableandrotatable propelling webs pivotally mounted upon planetary pivots,planetary angle pilot vanes attached to said planetary propelling webs,said pilot vanes to actuate the movement of said webs, adjustment meansto regulate a spring tension opposed to centrifugal force exerted by thesaid webs while rotating, the said spring connected to the said webs andposition stops to regulate the limit of lateral travel of the saidpropelling webs.

5. In an airplane wheel rotator, the combination of a hub cap or wheelflange, movable planetary driving webs pivotally mounted thereon, pilotvanes affixed to the said webs at an angle of incidence, a spring tocontrol the movements of the said driving webs and pilot vanes, means toregulate the tension of the said spring, a balanced pivot position uponwhich said driving webs are operable, so that the eflect of centrifugalforce upon the said driving webs will be opposed, while rotating, to thesaid spring tension.

An airplane wheel rotator comprising the combination of a plurality ofradially disposed propelling webs surrounding the center of an airplanewheel or on opposite sides of the said wheel center, said webs beingpivotally attached to the said airplane wheel, actuating pilot vanesattached to the said propelling webs, an adjustable balance weightalsoattached to the said propelling webs, an adjustable spring attached tothe said balance weights and means to attach the mechanism to theairplane wheel.

7. An airplane wheel rotating mechanism com prising the combination ofradially disposed propelling webs pivotally mounted upon the sideoi anairplane wheel, web actuating pilot vanes atpropelling webs at an angleof incidence to the said webs, slots in the said airplane wheel toreceive the said propelling webs when they are retracted into thesaidwheel and through which the said webs pass when they are extendedoutside of the adjustably attached to each a spring adjustably attachedtoeach balance weight, as described.

8. An airplane wheel rotating mechanism of the character described,comprising the combination of rotatable and transversely operablepropelling webs pivotally mounted upon said wheel, pilot vanes attachedto the said propelling webs and set at an angle of incidence in relationto each web, a centrifugal balance weight attached to the saidpropelling web device, a spring attached to the said centrifugal balanceweight device, adjustment means to alter the position of the saidbalance weight'device and adjustment means to alter the tension of thesaid spring, substantially as illustrated and described.

9. An airplane wheel rotating device, -compris-- ing the combination ofrotatable. and reciprocating driving webs, a pilot vane, set at an angleof incidence to reciprocate said webs by aerodynamic reaction upon thesaid pilot vanes, a centrifugal weight attached to said reciprocatingweb device, a spring to regulate the movement of opposed to the means toregulate the tension of said spring and means to adjust-the relativeposition of the said wheel, a balance weight g propelling web and.

and retract I adjustable threaded boss to receive a ward sides of saidpropelling volved and regulate-the 10. An airplane wheel speed of thesaid wheel. automaticrotator, comprising the combination of driving-websarranged the said webs, said vanes arranged to be continuously exposedto the airstream when the landing gear is lowered from the airplaneduring flight, said pilot vanes set at an angle of incidence to react tothe airstream in a manner which will cause them to expose the said websto the airstream at the bottomarcof the wheels rotation said are, aspring with adjustmentmeans-to regulate the action of the said websandvanes and an tegral with said propelling webs.

11. An automatic airplane wheel rotator, com prising the combinationofpivotally mounted propelling webs movable upon'such pivot mount in adirection transverse to the direction of flight, radially disposed slotsthrough which the said webs reciprocate into and out of the airstream,pilot vanes attached to the outer section of said propelling webs, saidpilot vanes being set at, an angle of incidence to reverse the travel ofthe said web upon each succeeding cycle of the airplane wheel rotation,by the reaction of the airstream upon the said pilot vanes, positionstops to limit the travel of the said reciprocating propeller webs, athreaded boss attached'to the inner section of each web, centrifugalbalance weights screwed upon said threaded boss, an elongated slotthrough said weight and a hole through said locking cotter key, a springattached to each propelling web, means to adjust the tensioncf the saidspring, substantially' as illustrated and described.

12. An automatic airplane wheel rotator, comprising the combination of aplurality of transversely oscillating propelling webs mounted upon.

relative position of said weight, a means to look any adjusted posisaidcounter balance, weight in tion, roller thrust bearings arranged to takepart of the thrust from the airstream against the forwebs, positionstops to limit the distance 01' oscillation of the said transverselymoving propeller webs and slots to permit the passage of the saidpropeller webs through them, said slots from, the center of wheelrotation.

13. An automatic airplane wheel rotator comprising the combination of anauxiliary or substitute hub cap embodying means of. attachment to thesaid airplane wheel, a plurality 01' air stream actuated propellingvanes set at an anglev of incidence to the direction of flow of the saidair stream, said propelling vanes reciprocal laterally and alternatelyinto the said air stream, a series of adjustment springs to regulate theaction of the laterally reciprocal propeller vanes, an adjustable weightattached to each of the, said propeller-vanes, said entire mechanismrotatable around a common center.

, weight inorder tobalance thevariousi'orces inthe said webs-when at thetop of, the

centrifugal weightwattached-to or inbeing radially disposed,

14. An automatic airplane wheel rotator comspring. a. weight attached toeach of the said 10 webs, said weights attached in a position to movethe said webs by the power 01 centriiugal iorce affecting the saidweights and in opposition to the said spring tension, means to adjustand alter the relative position of the said weights in .relation to theposition 01, the said webs, bearings to assure the alignment of the saidwebs,

substantially as illustrated and described.

ROBERT E. MITTON. ARGYLE M. CAMPBEIL.

